Dear parents/guardians,
Happy Sunday Patriots! Your cadets are settling down very nicely and getting used to routines and rituals. It was glorious starting each day in our morning formation. Ask your cadet to show BIZI in their Blended Learning platform. They have earned school bucks by coming to school and classes on time and behaving in the classroom. This Friday, in addition to attendance and behavior, cadets will get BIZI bucks for their grades: 25 for every A, 20 for every B, 15 for every C and nothing for D’s and F’s.
I am going to China! General Joseph Stilwell remains a hero in China. His legendary expeditions through the Republic of the Union of Myanmar (formerly Burma) allowed the Chinese to get supplies during WWII which led to the end of Japanese control over China. That is the short story. There are many documentaries about these expeditions and the role Gen Stilwell played in the history of China. He loved China and even spoke Mandarin Chinese. There is a museum built in Chongqing, China solely dedicated to Gen Stilwell. I tell you all of this, because some very generous leaders of the Stilwell Research Center have invited me to go to China to see all these places and join them for the 80th anniversary of the ending of WWII. I will leave on Aug 31 and return on Sept 10. The most exciting part of this partnership is that I will get to tour a school and that has great possibilities of being a sister school to our school. My goal is to make connections that will benefit our school named after Gen Stilwell. Stay tuned, I plan to share this adventure with our cadre and cadets and you!
Open House – Starting at 5:30pm on Tuesday, you can come to JSMAL with your cadet for Open house. From 5:30 to 6:00 we will have stations set up around the school that will have information for you. We will also be running a scavenger hunt for BIZI bucks. At 6:00 pm you will need to be in your cadet’s first period class. Then we will announce every 7 minutes for you to transition to the next class. Our goal is that you meet all your cadets’ teachers and leave knowing their expectations and how best to get ahold of them. We look forward to meeting you all this Tuesday, August 26.
Announcements:
Peanut Free School – Please do not send your cadet in with any snacks or food that has peanuts. We have cadets and cadre who are highly allergic to peanuts.
Vision Testing and Free glasses - No Cost Eye Exam and Glasses clinic coming to JSMAL on Tuesday, September 23rd. See attached application. We need this returned to the front office by September 12th.
Traffic at Dismissal Update – For now, our school resource officer, Off Leigh will direct traffic at dismissal. Please remind your cadets to Be Safe and Be Seen, when crossing the parking lot and Burma Road. I am asking that no cadet be dropped off or picked up on Permento Road. It is not safe to do this as there are no crosswalks, and it is a busy road.
Middle School College Fair – The National College Fair Save the Date Saturday, September 6, from 11-12pm at the Prime Osborne Convention Center. See attached for more information.
Middle School College Fair 2526 (2).pdf
Uniforms and Inspections – Starting tomorrow, cadets will have inspection to ensure that every cadet is wearing the uniform correctly. Cadets should have all black shoes, RC uniform digi-blue camo pants, black belt, grade level polo, and ID with lanyard worn around the neck. Necklaces should be tucked under the shirt. No facial piercings. For more detailed information, have your cadet show you the cadet manual. There will be consequences for violations that range from light calisthenics to losing Bizi bucks. If you need assistance for your cadet, please do not hesitate to reach out to your cadet’s leadership teacher or me.
Formation – It is my expectation that every cadet in Gen Ed attend formation, every morning, by 0820. I realize from time to time, there are traffic issues, appointments, sickness, and late buses. These are the exception and will be excused. Should it become a regular occurrence, I will reach out to you to figure out how we can get your cadet to school on time.
Cheerleading Tryouts – Cheer tryouts will start tomorrow after school in room 44. Cadets must have all the required paperwork uploaded in Aktivate to try out. Contact Coach Wilson for all questions. Wilsons5@duvalschools.org
Laptops – We keep laptops in the classrooms at JSMAL. If you want a laptop at home for your cadet, please use this QR code to order one at no cost to you. If you have already received one from DCPS, you will not be able to get another one for free. Open your cell phone camera and hold over the QR code attached and it will take you to the link to order a laptop from DCPS.
Calendar Events this week:
Mon, Aug 25 – Cheerleading Tryouts after school.
Tues, Aug 26 - Open House at 5:30pm.
Fri, Aug 29 - $5 dress down day and after school dance, 4:00 – 6:00pm.
Coming soon:
Sat, Sept 6 – National College Fair, middle school session 11-12.
Thurs, Sept 11 – SAC meeting at 5:30pm
Tues, Sept 23 – Vision screening – must apply.
Tamara Roper
Proud Principal
JSMAL